COLLEGEVILLE >> Ursinus College has established a new scholarship award that provides financial assistance to students from low- and middle-income families from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.

The first eight Abele Foundation Scholars Award were awarded to seven incoming first-year students and one continuing student.

Funded with support from Will Abele, a 1961 Ursinus graduate and member of the Ursinus board of trustees, and the Abele Family Foundation, the award provides high-achieving students with demonstrated financial need $10,000 in financial aid after all other gift aid has been awarded to each student.

The aim of this pilot program is to increase access and affordability for an undergraduate liberal arts education.

In addition to the $10,000 in financial aid, the scholars receive funding for “startup” costs such as the purchase of a laptop or required books; academically enriching pursuits such as internships, summer courses, or academic conferences; and assistance with student debt upon graduation.

“My wife, Joan, and I are thrilled to assist these talented students as they pursue an Ursinus College education that prepares them to be leaders of the future who live the values of integrity, persistence and empowerment and who understand the importance of paying it forward to others,” Abele said in a prepared statement released by the school.

Abele scholars will be expected to maintain consistent academic progress; become an active member of the college community by participating in on-campus experiences and internships; and attend programs sponsored by the Abele Family Foundation.

Consistent with the values of the Abele Family Foundation, the scholars will have expressed interest in the U.S. Constitution, the economy, history and government of the United States through coursework in these three disciplines.

“One of Ursinus’s top priorities is to attract and retain the best students for our institution,” Ursinus President Brock Blomberg said in the press release. “It is our goal to not only bring them to our college, but to provide the academic support and guidance that allows them to flourish during their four years here. We cannot achieve that without taking bold steps to increase access and affordability so that we can offer the best and brightest students a clearer pathway to Ursinus. This is yet another innovative way that Ursinus is ensuring that any student who wishes to attend Ursinus not only has a means to do so, but will thrive while here. I extend my sincerest thanks to Will and Joan and the Abele Family Foundation for making this pilot scholarship program possible.”

Named as one of the nation’s “Colleges that Change Lives,” Ursinus College is a highly selective, residential college with 1,500 students that is widely recognized for its Common Intellectual Experience. The tree-lined, 170-acre campus is located off E. Main St.